On Sunday, two additional bodies were recovered from the Vrindavan boat tragedy, bringing the total fatalities connected to Punjab and Haryana to 13.
Among the bodies retrieved was that of 22-year-old Dinky Bansal, who had been traveling with her mother, 54-year-old Meenu Bansal. Meenu’s body was found earlier on Friday and cremated the following day. Also recovered was the body of 18-year-old Rishabh Sharma from Jagraon, whose father, Umesh Sharma, expressed his devastation, stating, “He is dead now… was a law student.” The remains of Manik Tandon, a young man in his 20s, were returned to his hometown of Abohar on Sunday morning; he was set to marry in September.
Official reports indicate that three individuals remain unaccounted for, including Monika and Yash Bhalla from Ludhiana, as well as Pankaj Malhotra from Abohar.
To date, 13 bodies have been located. The deceased include Rakesh Gulati, aged 64, and his wife Anju Gulati, 62, alongside Meenu and Dinky Bansal from Dugri Urban Estate Phase-2, Ludhiana. Other victims from the Jagraon constituency include Kavita Behal, 49, her son Madhur Behal, 24, Charanjit Behal, 58, his wife Pinky Behal, 56, Ishan Kataria, 24, and Rishabh Sharma, 18. Additionally, Manik Tandon from Abohar and Sapna Hans, 55, from Moga, were among those who lost their lives. Notably, Sapna had traveled to Vrindavan with her husband and relatives just after celebrating her wedding anniversary. Asha Midha, 55, from Bhiwani, also perished in the incident.
Sapna’s husband, Anil Hans, was on a separate boat with his niece, Neha Hans, which remained safe. However, two of Sapna’s relatives, Saroj Rani and Reema Hans, were injured in the mishap and are currently receiving medical care.
Asha Midha reportedly joined the trip after coordinating with family members in Ludhiana. She boarded a bus on Friday morning from Murthal in Sonipat, coinciding with the arrival of buses from Ludhiana. It is noteworthy that two buses transporting devotees from Ludhiana and Jagraon departed on Thursday night and were expected to return on Monday evening. Asha, originally from Bhiwani, had visited her married daughter in Sonipat before embarking on the journey.
Initial investigations and eyewitness testimonies indicate that none of the passengers on the ill-fated boat were wearing life jackets, and many lacked swimming skills. Passengers were reportedly singing bhajans as they approached the Devraha Baba temple when the boat capsized in the Yamuna River. Preliminary assessments suggest that overloading and a lack of safety measures may have played significant roles in the disaster.
Authorities have confirmed that search efforts will proceed until all missing individuals are located.
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